I'm so dumb. I felt like my rheumatologist wasn't hearing me when I asked about trying to go off medication to see if I was in remission. I made my own decision to go off methotrexate. I made a series of really bad decisions by letting follow up appointments go by the wayside. I was busy with work and school but I was also wanting to evaluate my blood work off medications because there were some disagreements about my diagnosis (GPA, MPA, or RA). I thought that having a clean slate would help answer questions about whether or not I was in remission and clarify my diagnosis.
After 4-5 months without meds or oversight, I made an appointment so I could re-evaluate and get back on methotrexate if necessary. My symptoms were always mild which led to questions about the diagnosis. I had very occasional joint pain or swelling over the months without medication at about the same level as on the medication. I saw my doctor's physician assistant today and mentioned a likely cold, allergies, or sinusitis issue I've been dealing with the last 3 days. She mentioned that they might be signs of a flare.
I'm getting a pretty full blood panel done to assess my status and will return to the clinic in 3 weeks when they have results. I know there is no use in panicking because it doesn't help anything but should I be worried? I assume that the PA was being cautious by ordering the blood work and asking me to come back soon. Something about her suggestion that what I feel is a typical allergy or cold may be a Wegener's flare is really nagging at me.
I'm hoping that you'll say not to worry but we all know that this disease is sneaky and can come out of nowhere when you're not expecting it. It's like I let a false sense of comfort take over my senses and forgot how dangerous this thing can be. I took my health status for granted and didn't make it a priority.
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